WIFI Weather Station

Many home owners and weather enthusiasts alike are looking for a WIFI weather station these days. Previously, it became somewhat of a luxury when wireless weather stations (wireless from the weather sensors to the display console) were introduced, but nearly all of them still required an additional piece of hardware to post the weather data to the web. Even if additional hardware wasn’t required, it was common that the weather display would need to be hard-wired to your home internet router, perhaps forcing the consumer to place it in a less-than-ideal location in the home.

Enter the WIFI weather station. These wireless internet weather stations require no extra components and no wires to connect to the web. They allow you to upload your recorded weather data directly from the weather station to your home network, and from there to the internet if you so choose. Through our research, we’ve found these three to be the most popular and desired WIFI weather stations currently available.

WIFI Weather Station Reviews

If you took the time to read our individual WIFI weather station reviews, you saw that each of the models listed deserves to be there. They are all great options in their own right, however there are a few things that set them apart. The Ambient Weather WS-2902 Osprey has a total of 10 measurement points, includes WIFI and Weather Underground capabilities, and is actually often the lowest cost option from this list! Wow, what a combination! We highly recommend the Ambient WS-2902 as the Best WIFI Weather Station.

That doesn’t make the other the other two options bad. In fact, the Ambient Weather WS-1002-WIFI is a great option. However, its list price is over two times the cost of the others on the list, making it less affordable to most weather hobbyists looking for basic functions. This model has what we believe to be the best display console of any WIFI weather station on the list. Its full color TFT LCD color display that is of higher quality than the other two and easier to see from different angles and greater distances usually.

Next on our list, the LaCrosse Professional Weather Station is similarly priced as the WS-2902. It also has a separate weather-resistant thermo-hygro (temperature & humidity) sensor that allows the user to separate the temperature sensor from the anemometer, a trick that can help both achieve a reading that is more accurate. You see, it is optimal to place an anemometer higher off the ground and in an open area. Conversely, you want to mount the thermo-hygro sensor in a well-shaded area so that does not get the sun beating down on it, giving it a falsely high temperature reading. Both Ambient Weather models combat this issue with a radiation shield, which is a common practice among weather stations for household use. A weather station radiation shield is a component that houses the temperature sensor within it, making sure the direct sunlight does not give an inflated temperature reading.

How to Choose a WIFI Weather Station

So you’ve seen our list, and you’re ready to buy a WIFI weather station. If you were just here to confirm a suspicion that one of these models was the best, you should be good to go. Each is one of the best for their own reasons. If you are still not sure on something, keep reading. There are many factors to consider when you purchase wireless internet weather stations, and we’ll cover many of them below. Of course, price is an important topic and was considered when determining which WIFI weather station was set at the top of the list. In addition, things like the number of weather instruments, solar power, and the ability to connect to an online amateur weather station community are all significant benefits in the best WIFI weather stations. Last, but certainly not least, a good reputation among current and previous user’s reviews

Price and Overall Affordability

We alluded to this above, but of course price plays a part anytime you’re about to make an investment in something like this. WIFI weather stations can vary in price from $100 up to $500+, depending on all the accessories and weather instruments you might want to add on. Before spending too much, check the current price of the weather stations on the list above. A least a couple of them are very affordable and all three provide a great value for the customer at their price-point. Of course, all things considered, including the price tag, we recommend the Ambient WS-2902 Osprey WIFI weather station.

Number of Weather Instruments

Not all WIFI weather stations are created equal. Some have many instruments recording weather data, while others only have a few. The most important thing is to first make sure that the system will record the data that you need. Almost every home weather station with WIFI will measure temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and rainfall. Other sensors sometimes include UV and solar radiation, among others. It’s also common to have a radiation shield over the outdoor thermometer. If it’s not included, you’ll want to definitely make sure to find a well shaded area to put it.

From our list, both Ambient weather station options offer a whopping 10 weather sensors combined between the indoor and outdoor sensors. The LaCrosse Pro isn’t far behind and offers all the same data points, with the exception of the UV and solar radiation sensors. Note, there have been some comments online about the La Crosse 330-2315 missing a barometric pressure sensor. It actually does have one, but only the pressure “trend” can be viewed on the display. To see the actual pressure, you’ll need to view that data via the app.

Here is a view of the outdoor weather sensors of all three of our best WIFI weather station reviews.

Ambient WS-2902 Sensor

Ambient WS-1002 Sensor

LaCrosse 330-2315 Sensor

Solar-Powered WIFI Weather Stations

This is not specific to WIFI-enabled models, but worth mentioning. A solar-powered WIFI weather station just gives the user an added perk of requiring less frequent battery changes. With the weather instruments in the sensor suite powered on solar energy and just backed up by batteries, it’s very convenient. The great news is that all three from our list happen to be a form of a solar-powered WIFI weather station. The Ambient stations using solar power as the primary source on the outdoor sensors with a battery backup. The LaCrosse 330-2315 sensor suite works in reverse and is powered by batteries that are charged by the solar panel. This also extends the life of the batteries and is a benefit over a plain battery-operated weather station. Unfortunately, the stand-alone thermo-hygro sensor runs exclusively off of battery power, making it less desirable from a convenience standpoint.

Online Weather Station Communities

It has become so popular in recent years to post your weather data for friends, family, and neighbors to see at an online weather station community. Weather Underground is the most commonly used with over a quarter million privately owned weather stations constantly publishing data, but there are several. This is not a must-have unless it’s something you care about, but don’t forget to look. Not all brands can get on all the networks. Lucky for you, we’ve vetted those on our list and each can at least get only the Weather Underground network!

Reputation and User Reviews

Researching current and previous user’s reviews or reading about a specific brand’s reputation is a great way to ensure you’re making a sound investment. We’ve done most of the hard work for you and have identified the best models and ranked them according to list of factors spelled out in this guide, with a heavy emphasis on this category of WIFI weather station reviews by actual users and brand/model reputation. Through our research, we’ve found that user feedback mirrors our top 3 list, including the order of the list, with great accuracy.

WIFI Weather Station with Camera

Ambient Weather offers a WIFI WeatherCam that is compatible and integrates well with many of their weather stations, including the WS-2902 Osprey and the WS-1002-WIFI models on this list. Having a WIFI weather station with a camera is not only fun, but it makes things very convenient for daily weather observations and record keeping. Now you can record the weather, as well as present a visual of observations of the sky and cloud cover to accommodate the weather data. The AmbientCAMH3 is also compatible with Weather Underground, where you can post image archiving and a time lapse video of the day’s weather! Ambient’s WeatherCam is sold separately.

The Final Word on WIFI Weather Stations

In a quick summary, we’ve rated and ranked our three favorite WIFI weather stations above. Each has a good reason for being on the list, but the Ambient Weather WS-2902 takes the cake based on value to the user, its feature set, and the reputation it carries with the community. Unless it’s out of stock, or you have specific reason to get something different, we recommend the WS-2902 Osprey. Again, there’s nothing wrong with the others on this list, but as we see it, there’s no reason to pay a considerable amount of money more for a similar set of features or to get considerably fewer features for a similar price.